Country Cottage Mood Boards

Country cottage style is something I've always loved but never had a property that would match.  This is a scheme that I would use if I had a county cottage.

This is a bright and fairly neutral take on a country cottage, since cottages are typically quite dark, keeping the decor light and bright is important.  It has clean lines with rustic accents.

Choosing new flooring

To set the scene, this house is a 4 year old new build with new build carpets (in case you haven't ever experienced this delight.....it is cheap carpet thrown on top of whatever surface was left - in this case, it was cracked, plaster splashed dusty and dirty concrete).  4 years of prams, dogs, visitors and the joys of dirt from the building site outside on poor quality carpet wasn't great.  

It's a shame I can't show how it started out, even if I had a photo, it would never be a fair side by side comparison so just imagine showhouse cream carpet - after 4 years and countless attempts at cleaning, this was the very sad result.  

Stained, bubbled, awful.  It had to go, it was unsafe and unhygienic.

The final decision after months of samples and discussion was vinyl tiles.  

I know the price is high, and ridiculously high depending where you go (but more of that later) but it also comes with a 15 year guarantee for commercial use and I believe a lifetime guarantee for domestic use so it's clearly robust.  I know from experience that any freak damage can be rectified by removing and replacing tiles - not easy, but possible.  When you compare the initial cost with the cost of probably replacing the other types of flooring over 15 or more years, the figures are easier to handle.

In the end, the decision between Amtico and Karndean came down to colour, I wanted something a bit darker in a wood effect and the one that suited the best was Karndean Rubra (WP316 if you are interested).

The cost....this was an adventure!  I went to several suppliers and the costs varied by £2000.  In the end, I was lucky enough to have worked with a flooring contractor in the past who was able to do it for a sensible price.  Although I had a previous connection, this wasn't 'mates rates', it just wasn't the ridiculous mark up that the shops added.

The result -  It's a bit controversial in that the direction is technically wrong, the main living room should run away from the door and not across it and unlike most vinyl tile floors it doesn't have a border.  This is purely because I wanted the flooring to flow through the whole ground floor, which it does.  Plus, with such wide planks (36"x6") the border would either have to be cut down (extra labour costs) or make the hall really narrow.

Some more photos to show the flow between rooms and the detail.  It's been down for a few weeks now and so far so good.  I'll come back with an update if I fall anymore in love or if any problems crop up.

Disney (UK) Homeware Lustings

After spending far too long procrastinating on the Disney Store website, I wanted to put together a list of 'Homeware Lustings'.

First up is a range that fits my love of Minnie and would be perfect in my kitchen, which already has red accents. 

Disneyland Paris Minnie Mouse Spot Bow Serving Dish £14

The rest of the range is just as cute.  I love them all.

Now for something a little more subtle.  I love this heat proof mat, because at first glance it is just pretty tiles.  Its only when you look a little closer that you see the Mickey Heads. Sadly, I don't have anywhere where this would fit.

Disneyland Paris Azul Collection Heat Proof Mat £10

And to finish the kitchen theme, this is something I already have.  I love it so much that I wanted to share it now it is back in stock.

Disneyland Paris Mickey and Minnie Mouse Ice Cube Tray £5

I do use it to make ice, but it also makes great small chocolates and gift sized soap moulds.  Unlike some moulds you can buy it is quite sturdy so doesn't need putting on a separate tray and doesn't spill when you are carrying it.

And finally, because maybe if I wish upon a star.....

Arribas Jewelled Collection, Cinderella Castle Large Figurine £4,900

I'll just keep wishing. Comment below if you also lust after these items or if you have any already.

Disney Mickey Mouse Theme College Room

This themed room is for a room where you can't make permanent changes, maybe rented or college room.  To hand art or even the clock, look no further than 3M Command strips. 

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Making the most of a small bathroom - storage

I have been given another small bathroom challenge. While I'm getting a design together to make the most of the space, I thought I would write some of my 'top tips' here.
If you want to see the previous post about making the most of a small bathroom, it's here.

1.  Floor space, for extra storage space, get an under-sink unit which is wall mounted. Not only is it extra space for bottles of lotions and potions, but also seeing more floor space will make your bathroom feel much bigger. 

2.  Storage. What do you NEED to store in the bathroom?  Could that laundry basket be stored somewhere else?  Do you really need all those bottles of shampoo at once? 

3.  Shelving.  Now that we have sorted out which items are needed and which can be stored elsewhere, the question is how to store it.  An under sink storage unit (above) is a great use of space to store toiletries and cleaning products.   Another brilliant way of storing smaller cosmetics and medicine is a mirrored cupboard above the sink.
Here are a few ideas around pinterest.

                            

4.  Built in storage. 

                              

These ideas are only really applicable in a total bathroom redesign but great uses of space for storage.

5.  Bath.  Do you need a bath? It goes without saying that the bath takes up the most space, and for some it is completely essential, others rarely have a bath so it isn't worth the space it takes.

Another previous client who was very tall said he enjoyed a bath but couldn't  lie down in a regular bath without some serious leg contortion around the taps needed a solution.  I had a pretty extreme solution for him, which was to  put in a large shower in the bathroom and a hot tub outside, for the relaxing soak.  Obviously the cost of this was more than triple the cost of the whole bathroom but as I always say, if it works for you then it's the right thing to do.

Another option, which I have done, but wouldn't work for everyone, is to add an  ensuite. If you have one member of the household who needs a bath and someone else who can't mans age to step into the bath for an over-bath shower. A separate shower cubicle in an ensuite could work.
                              

This is the floor plan and photos from an ensuite I added into a bedroom, the overall size was 2.5 x 1m - small but perfectly formed.  The key to this design working was a small basin, which was ok because there was a full size basin in the bathroom and the shower had an inward folding door to save space.

I hope some of these tips have helped you, let me know in the comments if you have used any or have any other ideas.

*photo credits unknown - except ensuite which are all ©HD. 

Real Home Interior Design - Theming 'Disney Style'

So you've probably have guessed by now, I love a theme, but I'm also boringly practical.  

I adore Disney, and I am really inspired by the theming in Disney hotels, but even I couldn't live with that much theming full time.  So I'm going to look at ways to bring that theming to real life.

In this post, I will focus on a few Walt Disney World hotels for different reasons....Animal Kingdom, Art of Animation and Saratoga Springs.  Animal Kingdom for full on but still quite grown up theming, Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms for 'drop you straight into the film' theming and Saratoga Springs as an example of just a few hints of a theme.

So firstly, Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you are transported to the the African Savannah, complete with Animals outside the window.  Since I can't help you get a giraffe into your garden, I'm going to concentrate on the interiors.

The first thing to mention in the lounge area of the room is the dark furniture, which is balanced by light walls and carpet.  I love the bench by the wall and a small, slightly simplified version would be a great eating area at home.  The plates on the wall above the bench are a really simple way of bringing the theme together too and definitely could be used in a real room at home.

The TV cabinet is great and really adds to the theme although I know I don't have the woodwork skills to create it, maybe some of the tribal style designs could be painted onto some existing furniture if you wanted to create this look. I'd probably decorate a wardrobe in this way rather than a TV cabinet.

Another really fun way to add to this African Savannah theme is to add frames and art or maybe help your child to create their own African style art?










This carving in the headboard is super cute and could be recreated in paint at home for a Lion King theme.

Next to the Art of Animation - Little Mermaid Rooms, these are pretty extreme theming, it would be an amazing child's bedroom, and if money was no object, I'd recreate something similar for a child who loves Ariel.
However, reality kicks in and I'm not really sure that any child would want this for a number of years, so I'm going to pick out some simple elements that will translate to a real home.

The beds are amazing, and the headboard is definitely something that could be bought or made reasonably inexpensively.  Create the headboard easily by buying a shell shaped headboard,  trimming with pearl effect trim or if you are feeling more artistic, paint a wooden one.  Bedding is another item which obviously can be changed easily to keep with a theme.
While I'm not usually a fan of painting, some wall decals could look fab on a pale blue wall.  For more effort and more expense, a full wall mural would be amazing.




Another brilliant feature in the Little Mermaid Rooms at the Art of Animation is the hanging space, I would translate this to a real room by painting the inside of a wardrobe.  Obviously the outside of the wardrobe could be painted but I think in reality the inside would be just as fun for the child and they would not get bored of it so quickly.  I'd also get a light fitting like this for inside the wardrobe to really show off the design. To make it a bit more fun, I'd use the inside of the doors to make a scene complete with attached painted boxed which would be used to store all the little mermaid toys.

The Little Mermaid bathroom is an excellent example of quite an ordinary room being made extraordinary with some very simple theming.  The mirror is a simple and non-permanent item to change for a themed frame and the shower curtain is also really inexpensive and easy.  

And finally, Saratoga Springs, which to be honest isn't my style at all.  What I can appreciate, and the reason I chose this resort as an example is the theming.  The themes here are Victorian and Equestrian but neither are over the top.

I want to focus on the equestrian theme, at a first glance at the Studio room, there isn't a theme screaming out to me.   The first hint at a theme are the pictures on the wall, equestrian themed prints, nothing too eye-catching but a nice detail.  

The next themed item i noticed were the cushions - a much more obvious theme here, but on a smaller item like a cushion, you can be a bit more bold with a theme.  

This is definitely something that would translate easily into a "real" home.  I think it would be a good idea if the reverse of the cushion was plain so you can flip them over if you fancy a change or if, like me, you have visitors that just don't appreciate Disney or your particular theme.

The next detail is probably my favourite from the whole room, it is the bedside lamp bases.  Again, much more obvious theming but still quite small in the room so it would work in real life. There are similar equestrian themed lamp bases available, or many other animals if you have a different favourite you want to include!

So I hope those 3 examples have given you some ideas, I think I'm going to go and make a little mermaid headboard! 

Bringing some disney decor to your home

Disney at Home

Love Disney? Been to the parks and now you want to bring some of the magic home? Me too….

Here I’ll share with you a whole range of ideas to add some of that Disney magic to your home, i’ll try to include everything from great Disney items you can buy, Disney DIY projects and how pick and choose elements from Disney to incorporate into your home.

I think there can be a really fine balance between incorporating some memories or favourite items and turning your home into a Disney museum.  Obviously the balance will be different for everyone, for me, I want a family home with a few touches of Disney Magic, a few "hidden Mickeys" if you will.  

Let me start by sharing some of my favourite items from around my home.

DIsney art 

This is extra special to me as it has a bit of a story attached.  

On a recent trip to Disneyland Paris I ended up in the Art of Disney Animation drawing class alone, yes, just me and the artist.  Our subject was Mickey Mouse and at the end of the class I’m afraid my Mickey wasn’t looking great.  I’m not sure if it was pity or just because I was the only person in the class but afterwards I was given the artists drawing.  I just love the original pencil lines and its really big (around 1m wide)!  Getting it home un-crumpled was an almost impossible task but we managed it and took it straight to be framed.

I love some of the artwork sold by Disney but I'm afraid the price tags don't fit with my budget, if I wasn't lucky enough to get this picture I might have considered framing a disney poster (or 3), which are relatively cheap and widely available.

A DIY project for the family 

A really simple project I shared with my daughter last week was to make these Mickey soaps, I purchased the mould from Disneyland Paris although I think they are quite widely available and probably meant for cooking.  I bought some plain soap and melted it over boiling water, added some colouring and scent and made these.  

I’ve made them in all different scents and colours (I got mine from Hobbycraft but I'm sure others are available) for friends recently and they just seem to bring a bit of a Disney smile.  

I am no soap making expert - this is not a soap recipe, this is just ‘melt and pour’ but its quick and easy.  My extra tip if you are thinking of making these is that you can end up with a bubbly bottom(!) but I found that if you leave them for to cool for just a minute or so, they form a thin skin on the top which can be carefully removed - use a cocktail stick or something as the soap underneath with still be very hot and it leaves a lovely smooth surface when its all set.

I don’t want to state the obvious, but this process does involve boiling water and very hot molten soap so be very careful.

Also in our disney themed bathroom we have a Mickey soap dispenser and Mickey hand towels and of course our Mickey Soaps are used in here too.

I hope you have enjoyed these few items, Ill be back next week with some more Disney ideas for your kitchen.

Interior Design vs Real Homes

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about "Interior Design" and what it really means to me (I live in a real home with a lovely but untidy husband, a 2 year old with boundless energy and limited concentration and a dog with paws that are magnets for mud)

I guess when we say Interior Design these types of rooms spring to mind, a luxurious boutique hotel style bedroom or a large double height living space.

        

Both of which are gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but is it really possible for the majority of us to achieve this?  Of course it is for some people but for the majority, perhaps the dream and the reality are a little different. 

            

  

                The dream      vs       The reality 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any property that you call home, but I feel like interior design magazines and some interior designers seem to think that large rooms with lovely high ceilings and endless budgets are the norm.  I'm confident that modern housing estates, with smaller rooms, standard low ceilings and small budgets are in fact much more usual.  

We don't and can't all live in period properties or New York style loft apartments.  So the challenge is to take these amazing designs for large grand rooms and translate them to smaller rooms without being overpowering.  I wish more 'interior design' magazines used real home examples - and I mean REAL homes, homes built in the last 20 years, with smaller proportions, of people who have children and pets and can't keep them showroom perfect all the time.  

It seems to me that this is like those size 8 mannequins in shops, where dresses look beautiful and drape perfectly - and then someone with a real figure puts in on and suddenly the dress is clinging unceremoniously to all the lumps and bumps.

Take this as an example, the first picture is a real living room in a modern house, but tidied (toys removed) and styled for a photograph.  The second picture is the tidiest version of reality, including children's toys.  

With this as reality, I like to focus my designs on clever and practical uses of space.  I believe functional does not equal ugly or boring, but functional is perhaps more important than beautiful in a real family home and a balance needs to be found.  

Making the most of a small bathroom

This was definitely a challenge, the property had a very small bathroom 1900x1700 when I took over. 

It only had toilet, wash basin and bath with shower over, which I didn't like.  

       

 

I wanted to have a separate shower but didn't want to lose the bath.  The solution was to use the adjoining cupboard. I knocked down the walls of the cupboard and that space and a small square from the kitchen to make the bathroom 1900 x 2400.

The new larger bathroom allowed space for a separate shower and bath.  I finished the bathroom off with a white suite and neutral wall tiles and flooring.

For more ideas about bathroom space and clever storage - click here

HDHomes – My Diary of Design

I am a property developer from Lancashire, I have been involved in property and construction since the age of 18, first working for others while studying and learning the ropes and then setting up alone.

Although I love a challenge, sometimes the wisest thing is knowing when to walk away.  I have recently been specialising in both the redesign of bungalows for the ‘downsize market’ and property makeovers to help sell properties.

I am a stickler for quality, I won’t cut corners, but I will negotiate hard to get quality on a budget.  I love innovative designs to make life easier, but never at the expense of looking beautiful.

Please feel free to leave comments, and if you have any questions, email me at emma@holcombedevelopments.co.uk